Lightboxes are cool, but they cost money and take up space in your already-cluttered desk. Freezing your laptop screen costs zero cents and uses tools you already have. It’s like using a banana as a phone stand—it’s janky, but it works.
Plus, you can trace anything: ink illustrations, family photos, memes of cats with trendy hats. The world is your tracing-paper oyster. And let’s be honest, that cat meme deserves a hand-drawn tribute.
One Last Pro Tip
Dim your screen brightness before you start. A blasting 100% brightness while you’re hunched over is like staring into the sun with a headache. Set it to a cozy 50%—your eyes will thank you, and you won’t see phantom lines for the next hour.
So next time you need to trace a tricky shape, just freeze that screen. Embrace the silliness of putting paper on a laptop. Nod at your reflection, take a sip of lukewarm coffee, and draw like nobody’s watching. You’ve got this.